Boot Fitting

I bought new boots last year when I bought the rest of my AT gear. They've been pretty comfortable, but I felt like the fit could still be improved a bit. It turns out that Boulder is the home of one of the best boot fitters around, Larry Houchen, and I stopped by to see him over the weekend.

Larry's shop isn't any sort of ritzy affair. Aside from the wall displaying the latest ski boots, the place could only be described as "college chic". It's obvious that he's more concerned with taking care of your feet than getting decorating tips from HGTV, and I'm okay with that. When I walked in, the shop was full of activity. There were customers sprawled out everywhere and Larry directed me to have a seat and hang out on one of the couches. Even with all the commotion and activity, it's a very relaxed atmosphere. I hung out there on the couch chatting with some of the other people and listening to Larry's advice to other customers while I waited for him to come by and make some adjustments on my boots. Typically, he moves from customer to customer spending a little bit of time on each customer before moving to the next.

Having comfortable boots is priceless, but apparently nobody has told that to Larry. A couple hours (and a couple beers) later, and ended up with some better fitting boots. He re-molded my boot liners, applied some mojo to my foot beds, and who knows what else. The cost? $10. I asked him if he was kidding me. He said "Is that okay." I didn't need much in the way "parts", but his labor is easily worth more. (For crying out loud, the guy has 25+ years of experience and has fit boots for many top skiers.) I'll at least have to bring him some beer next time I'm in Boulder, and Larry's is definitely the place I'll be shopping for alpine boots.

You can call Larry for an appointment (303-402-6733), but don't be too upset if he doesn't answer the phone right away. He's busy this time of year. Very busy. Call back later. :-)

(You don't have to take my word for it. Read mobil_homme's blog post from his experience at Larry's last year.)